Tagged: christmas

The presents have all been opened and many will be heading back to the store.   

Returning or exchanging gifts is part of the American holiday shopping season tradition.  

But Patrick Bennett with the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Michigan warns if you plan to return a present you should know the store’s rules for returning or exchanging merchandise. 

“It’s important that consumers retain the original packaging if they plan on returning items.  Or if they receive something that they know in fact they are going to return it, don’t even open it. Take it back in its original condition," says Bennett.   

Bennett also advises people returning presents to see if the business charges a restocking fee. He says restocking fees are common for businesses that sell electronics.  

Bennett says many retailers have tightened their rules on accepting returned merchandise in recent years to crack down on fraud. 

 The next phase of the holiday shopping season will start Monday with 'After Christmas' sales.  

Tom Scott is with the Michigan Retailers Association.    He says most retailers will offer some extra incentives to get customers into their stores, especially ones who got ‘gift cards’ as presents.  

“They have quite a while to redeem the gift cards.  And retailers would really like them to redeem them as soon as possible," says Scott, "So they’re providing incentives to try and move the merchandize and get shoppers in there and spending the gift cards….and even some more of their real cash too.”    

 This has already been a pretty good holiday shopping season for Michigan retailers with sales expected to be at least three percent higher than last year. 

 One week ago, a fire destroyed the Saint Vincent de Paul store and warehouse in Lansing.     

The community is helping the charity to rebuild.   

Saint Vincent de Paul provides help to those in need with clothing and other donated goods, heating assistance and even Christmas presents for children.  But last Sunday’s fire threatened all of that.    

Marcia Barrons Maiville is the president of the Lansing chapter.   She says the fire was ‘heart wrenching’, but it’s the community’s response that’s bringing tears to her eyes.  

Sending out a formal Christmas letter is a holiday tradition for many people. 

Author Wade Rouse, after receiving one too many Christmas letters, decided to pen his own.

Wade Rouse lives in Michigan and is the author of "It's All Relative: Two Families, Three Dogs, 34 Holidays and 50 Boxes of Wine.”

 This is turning into a very merry holiday shopping season for Michigan retailers.   

 The hard numbers are still coming in, but it appears early optimism for a strong Christmas shopping season is panning out.   

Tom Scott is with the Michigan Retailers Association.    He says a steady stream of customers have been shopping at Michigan stores since Thanksgiving.    Scott says that’s meant there’s been less pressure on retailers to slash prices.  

"There’s still been some really good bargains out there.  But it just hasn’t been…cut it to shreds to get people in and buying something," says Scott.